Session 27: Target Acquired
General Summary
Vin let Sickening Radiance run for its full duration, effectively eliminating anything with hit points within its radius. When she gave the all-clear, Lins went back in, and together with Sigvurd, retrieved the party's lost loot from the bottom of the pool!
Overjoyed to have his Greataxe of Frost back, and with Vin pretty pleased at recovering Filge's spellbook, too, the party escorted the kids back to the surface, to the unending gratitude of their parents. While humble and poor, these folk offered any help they could give, shoudl the party ever need it.
The party didn't like knowing the naga was alive, but decided they needed to know more before they went after it, to make sure it didn't get away again. Besides, the apocalypse cult seemed slightly more pressing.
Hearing this discussion, Zeke pondered aloud that his contract was not up. The naga yet lived, and he was hired to kill it. The party, despite their rough start, had a feeling the merc would be useful company, and happily accepted his offer to stick around.
The group reconvened that night to talk strategy, and determined that, though the naga should be dealt with, they needed to prioritize the cult. There was talk of returning to diamond lake, but Sigvurd pointed out that the cult would surely have burned that bridge behind them.
Meanwhile, the doppelganger who lured the city had done so with knowledge of the Ebon Triad, and hit on them had been ordered after they started investigating the cult. Perhaps the Triad and their associated Kyuss Cultists had interests in the Free City after all...
The next day, Eligos sent for them, having finished his research. He was able to tell them that the Apostolic Scrolls contained prophecies regarding the Age of Worms, and a ritual for summoning an Ulgurstasta - a huge undead that could consume living creatures and spit them out as more undead.
If Loris was after those scrolls, the party would do well to investigate him.
The group began to ponder ways to investigate Loris, and Eligos pointed out that he's not going to have a lot going on esides the Champion's Games this week, and he's going to put the belt on the champion, himself, as per tradition. The party was intrigued, and after learning more about the rules and format of the tournament, agreed to sign up under the management of a friend of a friend of Eligos'.
Eligos referred them to Nelelue, a familiar name, though the Eladrin was in disguise as a human rogue. She introduced them, after expressing relief to see them alive, to Ekaym Smallcask, a human man with dark brown skin and glossy black hair, fine blue robes and a lute over one shoulder.
Ekaym was pleased to manage them, but tried for a 50% cut. Zeke, a savvy prize fighter, called his bluff, reducing his take to 30%, with the party maintaining merch rights.
The party used the remaining time to do some shopping and learn the rules of the tournament, and when the opening ceremonies started, they were registered as the Owlbears (with Zeke using the stage name The Gravedigger), and invited to the champions' feast.
There they got their first look at Loris Raknian as he welcomed the gladiators and introduced the defending champion, Auric and his Warband: familar faces for some of the party, Khellek, the Warband's wizard, was the very mage from whom Vin cheated away her first spellbook all those years ago!
There was also the rogue Tirra, who had previously irked Nermara by totally mean-girlsing it up at the only good bar in Diamond Lake, and Zeke gave no details, but indicated that he wouldn't mind getting disqualified if it meant putting Auric six feet under.
As the party went on, the group met some of the other gladiators, gaslit Loris Raknian, accepted an offer from the Thieves' Guild (delivered by Tirra of all people!) and prepared themselves for combat, subterfuge, and danger aplenty in the days ahead.
The Champion's Games had begun!
Overjoyed to have his Greataxe of Frost back, and with Vin pretty pleased at recovering Filge's spellbook, too, the party escorted the kids back to the surface, to the unending gratitude of their parents. While humble and poor, these folk offered any help they could give, shoudl the party ever need it.
The party didn't like knowing the naga was alive, but decided they needed to know more before they went after it, to make sure it didn't get away again. Besides, the apocalypse cult seemed slightly more pressing.
Hearing this discussion, Zeke pondered aloud that his contract was not up. The naga yet lived, and he was hired to kill it. The party, despite their rough start, had a feeling the merc would be useful company, and happily accepted his offer to stick around.
The group reconvened that night to talk strategy, and determined that, though the naga should be dealt with, they needed to prioritize the cult. There was talk of returning to diamond lake, but Sigvurd pointed out that the cult would surely have burned that bridge behind them.
Meanwhile, the doppelganger who lured the city had done so with knowledge of the Ebon Triad, and hit on them had been ordered after they started investigating the cult. Perhaps the Triad and their associated Kyuss Cultists had interests in the Free City after all...
The next day, Eligos sent for them, having finished his research. He was able to tell them that the Apostolic Scrolls contained prophecies regarding the Age of Worms, and a ritual for summoning an Ulgurstasta - a huge undead that could consume living creatures and spit them out as more undead.
If Loris was after those scrolls, the party would do well to investigate him.
The group began to ponder ways to investigate Loris, and Eligos pointed out that he's not going to have a lot going on esides the Champion's Games this week, and he's going to put the belt on the champion, himself, as per tradition. The party was intrigued, and after learning more about the rules and format of the tournament, agreed to sign up under the management of a friend of a friend of Eligos'.
Eligos referred them to Nelelue, a familiar name, though the Eladrin was in disguise as a human rogue. She introduced them, after expressing relief to see them alive, to Ekaym Smallcask, a human man with dark brown skin and glossy black hair, fine blue robes and a lute over one shoulder.
Ekaym was pleased to manage them, but tried for a 50% cut. Zeke, a savvy prize fighter, called his bluff, reducing his take to 30%, with the party maintaining merch rights.
The party used the remaining time to do some shopping and learn the rules of the tournament, and when the opening ceremonies started, they were registered as the Owlbears (with Zeke using the stage name The Gravedigger), and invited to the champions' feast.
There they got their first look at Loris Raknian as he welcomed the gladiators and introduced the defending champion, Auric and his Warband: familar faces for some of the party, Khellek, the Warband's wizard, was the very mage from whom Vin cheated away her first spellbook all those years ago!
There was also the rogue Tirra, who had previously irked Nermara by totally mean-girlsing it up at the only good bar in Diamond Lake, and Zeke gave no details, but indicated that he wouldn't mind getting disqualified if it meant putting Auric six feet under.
As the party went on, the group met some of the other gladiators, gaslit Loris Raknian, accepted an offer from the Thieves' Guild (delivered by Tirra of all people!) and prepared themselves for combat, subterfuge, and danger aplenty in the days ahead.
The Champion's Games had begun!